Clearing a ledger
by Miriellar
Summary: A year after the battle for Manhattan Clint and Natasha welcome a new member to the Avengers Initiative. A BlackHawk one shot.


Disclaimer; I own nothing and have no part in any of it.

I haven't written anything in a fair while and now the semester is over my head has been buzzing with all sorts of stuff, I'm merely sharing some of that stuff with you guys.

Natasha closed her eyes, a smile sliding across her lips as the first of many contractions to come moved slowly through her body after months of anxious waiting. Beside her Clint snored gently, the arm he had slung over her belly tensing slightly as she shifted, but he didn't look like he was going to be up any time soon. She didn't blame him, whilst she'd been placed on compulsory maternity leave Clint had been on assignment in Argentina with Tony Stark; after spending four months alone with Tony, Natasha understood why Clint wanted nothing more than to sleep it off!

The bed was warm, the pillows comfortable and the body beside her comforting and the knowledge that she had no choice but to get up shortly made her moan and pull the covers over her head…just for a little while longer.

His nose itched but he ignored it, instead pulling her closer to him and burning his nose further into her hair, it smelled of coconut and sunshine; the two exotics smells were at such odds with their everyday jobs that it separated work and play. The body beside him grumbled and shifted her legs to lie on top of his as she kissed his bare chest.

"Tasha…." His voice croaked as he looked down to see his partner peer up from a mass of red curls and the duvet. Her green eyes sparked and her red lips curved.

"Hmm?"

"Why is the bed wet?"

She shrugged and closed her eyes "my waters broke"

Clint lay back and brought his hand up to cradle her head against his chest, knowing exactly why she hadn't woken him or alerted anybody just yet. Natasha was a private person who had hoped to glide through both the pregnancy and the birth with as little fuss as possible. And until 6 weeks before her due date the plan had been working, until Pepper had thrown a baby shower. Any woman except Natasha would have been overwhelmed with joy at the attention as she was pampered and showered with gifts from friends; it was completely wasted on her but she had come to realise, sat in the middle of a pile of wrapping paper, that her family was right here in Stark Tower. The team known as the Avengers Initiative had been thrown together and slowly but surely had embraced each other. Steve, despite being frozen for decades had joined the team and the 21 century with gusto. Thor, the Norse god dropped in whenever he pleased although his visits had become more regular when Jane had moved to Manhattan. Bruce, who had once been a reserved character was now one of the few men whom Natasha trusted with her life (she couldn't same the same for the 'other guy' who still made her a little nervous). Tony and Pepper were a dysfunctional couple who had so little in common that they were perfect for each other. Tony's insistence that the team moved into Stark Tower had made Pepper's blood boil, until she realised that this was an opportunity not to be missed; Tony wouldn't only be her problem, the team could help baby sit too! The playboy did what he wanted, when he wanted but underneath the nonchalance was a man who craved the company of those he considered equals.

"I should get up"

Natasha threw the covers off of her body and made to get out of the bed, however two strong arms locked around her and pulled her back into the wreckage of the bed.

"No, not yet. Stay with me Tash".

Giggling she elbowed him and wriggled away to flick the light switch on.

"Oh come on that was unnecessary!"

Clint's blue eyes slammed shut as light flooded the room. Sitting up Natasha peeked at the clock,

"Hey look its only 3.30, think of the mood Tony would be in if were to wake him this early in the morning"

Clint laughed at the sadistic glint of excitement in her voice at the prospect of waking Tony from his beauty sleep. Rolling his eyes he sat up, and rose from the bed, feeling the burn of Natasha eyes on his naked form as he pulled on a pair of boxers and sweat pants. His eye browns rose as he turned to see Natasha grimace. Catching the look on his face she waved a hand beckoning him over.

"Help me up will you, I want a shower",

"Are you serious? You can't have a shower n-"

He was cut off in mid sentence as she glared at him. Giving in he put out a hand to steady her and placed another on her waist. She swayed but managed to remain standing, leaning forward to rest her head on his chest she could feel herself falling as heat began to travel through her body.

"Clint I don't…feel…well, is it…supposed to feel…like this?"

His blood ran cold as she struggled to speak; looking over her shoulder he caught sight of the puddle of bright red blood which had stained the bedding.

"Cli..m'gonna fall..put…down"

Her legs out and she was only caught by his quick reflexes. Swinging her up into his arms he raced for the hallway, the door loudly smacking against the wall, waking Steve from his sleep in the next room.

Racing out from his room Steve caught sight of the archer carrying Natasha quickly to the room which had been kitted out with medical equipment for the birth. Steve winced as he looked at Natasha, her head hanging limply on Clint's shoulder, sheen of sweat covering her face.

The dimply lit room smelled of sterile equipment and the temperature was uncomfortably cool. Placing Natasha on the bed Clint hit the emergency button wired up to travel to a SHEILD medical team in case of anything going wrong.

"Whoa whoa whoa what is all the noise about do you not realise that some of us prefer to sleep during the dark hours of the day?"

Tony shuffled into the room, his vision still blurry from waking up too quickly. His eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. Steve and Clint were busy trashing the room trying to find any bandages and towels that had been stashed away. Natasha's form looked small on the large white bed despite the swell of her stomach and the blue glare of the lights were turning her already sallow skin a deathly shade of pale. The usually fiery red head that doled out death threats on a daily basis was shaking and sweating as blood coated her legs and the sheets beneath her. She looked scared, this was not the Black Widow, this was their Natasha. Snapping out of his stupor Tony began doling out orders of his own,

"Jarvis, monitor agent Romanoff's pulse please and alert the medics that we need enough for a blood transfusion. Make sure that all emergency equipment is available and please set the kettle to boil, I think agent Barton may need some calming tea"

At the mention of his name, Clint's head snapped round in time to see Bruce arrive with a medic.

"Clint, let them do their job. Natasha is a fighter, and she'll do what she does best. My new nephew will be fine I'm counting on it" Tony placed a hand on Clint's shoulder.

Folding his arms over his chest Clint sighed, "You're right she will, but I've never been in a position where I can't do anything, fuck! And it's a girl; I know it's a girl"

The shouts from the room were starting to make the team wish for the chaos of a mission, where they could decide their own fates. Steve winced as they listened to the medic try to bring Natasha round enough to speak.

"Natasha, Natasha. Agent Romanoff can you open your eyes for me? That's it good girl, open your eyes. Agent Barton get in here!"

Taking his cue Clint was by Natasha's side in seconds, his large hand swallowing her own as he slid on arm under head.

"Tasha, Tash, look at me. Look at me please"

Her eyes were red rimmed but defiant as she struggled to keep them open "Clint, do we really need an audience. I love you guys but please, can you please leave?"

Laughing at her orders and as weak as her voice was the team were glad of hearing them.

Turning to the door, Steve inclined his head respectfully while Bruce and Tony lingered, unused to being spare parts,

"Don't die on us Agent Romanoff, Pepper would miss you too much and I don't want to deal with that" Tony forced a smile,

"And I can't wait to meet the new addition, we'll see you in a few hours" Bruce looked worried and made no attempt to hide it, he had been the only one however to think about the baby. He knew that if anything went wrong and the baby didn't make it, both parents would be devastated.

Back in the room Clint glanced at the medic who was busying himself with checking vitals and injecting Tasha with all sorts of chemicals in order to keep her awake

"What about the baby, is he ok? He's still breathing aghhh, he's still breathing right?"

A contraction hit her hard as her body curled towards Clint.

Raising his eyes to meet Clint's the medic nodded, "he's stable for now and don't think that it'll be long until you need to start pushing, a couple of hours max"

"Would it not be safer to try and deliver now?" Clint's impatience was beginning to show, the blood on the sheets reminding him of the danger.

"No sir, not yet. Agent Romanoff suffered a spike in temperature and a rush of blood loss but the bleeding's stopped. When her waters broke the placenta tore but didn't break. It isn't and shouldn't be a problem"

"See Clint, I'm fine. I'm just tired, want to go to sleep"

"Tash stay awake for now, come on love"

"You stay awake, I'm gonna sleep"

Clint chucked, shaking his head.

"You should let me win once in a while; you stay awake for now, sleep later when our little BlackHawk is here"

"We are not calling our son BlackHawk; I don't care how much Tony's bet on it"

"No, but you'll have to stay up and think of something to call our daughter, we can't go calling her baby. Though it'd be easier for Thor"

An hour later saw Clint and Natasha both sat in silence listening to two steady heartbeats on a monitor. Clint sat beside the bed, one hand holding hers to his chest, her fingers curled around the neck of his shirt. Natasha lay as peacefully as she could with a mask over her nose and mouth to help her breathe. The contractions were coming more frequently and by her calculations they didn't have long to wait. She hadn't told Clint but after watching women give birth in Russia with no professional help, and then later die, she half expected not to make it.

She smiled as he brushed his fingers through her hair, the callused pads massaging her scalp gently. His eyes crinkled when he smiled at her and somehow it made the pain more bearable.

"Any minute now, this is going to become messy. Just remember I that love you"

Laughing he sat back in the uncomfortable chair, the back t-shirt he had thrown on stretching across his check as he placed his hand behind his head.

"Well Agent Romanoff I believe that we have been through worse, remember Budapest?"

"Oh I remember, but I'm surprised you do, you were unconscious for most of it"

"Hey do you guys want breakfast? Eggs, bacon, cereal, juice?" Bruce poked his head through the door

"No. I think we're good for now thanks, but keep it on standby"

Nodding and disappearing Bruce's interjection changed the atmosphere.

"Doc we anywhere close yet?"

Clint asked the medic as he checked Natasha's progress, "Well we're nearly there but your contractions don't seem to be coming as hard they should. How do you feel?"

Grimacing as she pulled herself into a sitting position she was thankful when Clint's arms supported her.

"I'm the Black Widow, I've been through worse, but they're coming thick and fast. If you want me to start pushing now's a good time to say so"

Pressing a kiss into her hair uncaring of the sweat matting the strands, Clint settled the cushions behind her.

"We'll give you a little while longer. When you get a few strong contractions close together, when they feel insistent, then you can start pushing. Ok?"

"Alright" Natasha looked dejected as she rolled her eyes. It was true, she'd been through much worse, and she had the scars to prove it. But childbirth was invented for the patient, and she was anything but patient. Clint on the other hand was far happier now that he knew that Natasha and the baby were doing ok. He was a hawk; patience was just another part of his temperament. He cooled Natasha's passion and she gave him a reason to fight a little harder.

Looking around the room Natasha felt smaller, and that was an unusual feeling for the usually confident assassin. Sensing her sudden distress Clint at beside her and wrapped her in his arms, resting a large hand on her stomach.

"Deep breaths, in and out. You with me darlin'?"

Her fingers curled around his biceps as she concentrated on breathing with him. The movement of his chest under her head lulling her into state of calm and allowing her to think properly.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm ok, we're ok. We're good"

Finishing her round of assurances she muttered something in Russian, too quiet for Clint to hear properly but loud enough for him to chuckle as he gained the jist. Propping her up the medic caught his eye and nodded, like it or not they were about the become parents.

Suddenly Natasha stiffened and her eyes widened,

"No wait, we're not good, we're not good. I need more time! I can't do this. Clint please, we're not ok"

The uncertainty and panic in her voice took him off guard; he'd never heard her sound so vulnerable. Holding her hand he kissed her knuckles as she gasped in pain.

"Tash, we're going to do this ok, I'm not going anywhere and agent, hey what is your name?" he looked towards to medic who shouted back, "ok me and agent Watson are going to be right here. We're not going anywhere. You're going to do this and we'll help as much as we can"

his voice was sure, his words carefully chosen but inside, at that moment all Clint Barton's inner voice could shout was 'oh fuck'; on a loop! Seeing Natasha worried, made him worry, it unsettled him, she has been his partner for years and in those years he had seen Natasha Romanoff go through a myriad of emotions, the exception being panic and uncertainty.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes agent Barton?" the oddly warm voice echoed around the room.

"Can you change the lighting in here?"

At Clint's request the lights turned themselves down from a bright white to a calmer yellow. The fingertips that had been travelling down Natasha's spine felt her relax a little at the change.

Watson stood up fully as if to impose himself a little more on Natasha, "ok, it's time to bring this little girl into the world agent Romanoff"

With a growl Natasha grabbed Clint's shoulders and manoeuvred her body so that she was kneeling on the bed with the hand on his shoulders to steady her.

"It's a boy and I'm ready"

The next contraction hit her hard sending her barrelling into Clint, her fingers digging into shoulder. But she didn't cry out. Not once during the 40 minute ordeal of bring their child into the world did Natasha Romanoff scream. She cried as the pain reached a crescendo and the head crowned but Clint's constant reassurance and soothing words helped her to maintain what little semblance of control she had left. She panted and keened in pain as Watson told her to stop pushing and taking the moment Clint held her upper body close to his, the heat from her skin burning him and the escapes tears wetting his shirt.

"We're nearly there now, nearly done. You're nearly done Sweetheart"

He smiled as she nodded, feeling her tense and get ready for the last few pushes.

"Clint, do me a favour? Just shut up"

Agent Watson stifled a chuckle, instead turning to gather a few blankets.

The heart monitors beeped continuously as Natasha shifted positions to sit propped against the pillows. She signed softly as Clint leaned over to kiss her forehead, his fingers ghosting over her face.

"Do you think this will help clear our ledgers?" she sounded resigned but damn if he hadn't detected a glimmer of hope in her voice. Lowering his head to rest on hers she felt his lips move as he whispered in her ear,

"Tasha I don't believe in god you know that, but I do believe that we choose our own path in life. This was meant to happen and I know that this little girl will change everything. Our ledgers will never disappear Tash but I think this goes some way to clearing it"

Nodding she wrapped her fingers around his and kissed him. The two understood each other perfectly and the strangely sentimental words from Clint were such a rarity that she kept them and buried them deep within her mind quickly before the pain once again overwhelmed her control.

The room melted away and she was only aware of her body's needs as she heard Clint's excited encouragement and the medic's gentle instruction buzz around her ears. Grabbing Clint's hands Natasha pushed for the final time, a broken scream catching in her dry throat as her white knuckles nearly brought a scream from her partner.

Relief flooded her body as her head hit the pillow and the shrill sound of a newborns cry reached her ears.

Clint didn't know where to look, at his tired partner or his new child. Agent Watson had rushed the child over to be washed, weighed and wrapped before making his way over to the pair. Clint held his arms out to carefully take the child, an expectant excitement on his face,

"Agent Barton, meet you new daughter"

When Natasha told the story later on Clint would never admit to the tears which escaped as he felt the tiny being in his arms. The baby squirmed in his arms and held on to his little fingers. He could hear Agent Watson coach Natasha through the final birthing process of delivering the placenta and remove the soiled sheets from the bed before helping her sit up.

As Clint looked at her he knew then that he would never see a more beautiful sight. She looked absolutely exhausted and if he knew her, she wanted nothing more than to have a bath. The beautiful smile which slid across her face made his heart stop and her own eyes swam with unshed tears as she held out her arms, her fingers twitching in anticipation. The tiny body immediately curled towards her mother as Natasha pulled her to her chest, her finger tracing the baby's tiny features.

She didn't move but she felt him slide onto the bed beside her, one hand propping his head up and one cradling his new daughter with her.

"What do we call her?"

Natasha whispered, not wanting the break the peace which had settled over the room.

Smiling Clint considered her question; he knew that had the baby been a boy as Natasha had predicted she would have named him. However she had also known that Clint had already picked out a name for a baby girl

"Nieve, I'd like to call her Nieve"

"Nieve Barton. Hmm, it has a nice ring to it" looking down at their daughter Natasha smiled and shifted her body to lay comfortably beside Clint so that their bodies were stretched out, hers burying into his side, making her feel safe and secure.

She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes, exhaustion seeping into her bones. Clint leaned over and kissed her tenderly before moving their daughter to lay on her mothers chest but allowed her to be protected by her father.

Taking the opportunity Client nuzzled Natasha's cheek and whispered words laced with hope and love.

"Tash darlin, does this mean you'll marry me now?"

Sleepily she met his gaze through bleary eyes and sighed,

"Clint Barton you're an idiot", his body tensed unintentionally and he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He slipped a nonchalant mask over his features quickly but didn't quite manage to cover the feeling of sadness at her rejection…again. Slipping her hand into his she closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek against his skin, the cool metal of his watch soothing against her flushed skin. She knew it was cruel but she couldn't help it.

"But I love you just the same. I think its time that I said yes"

Grinning like the idiot she had accused him of being, he kissed her thoroughly before leaning back to settle among the pillows to guard his two most precious girls.


End file.
